Bobbin release for weft replenishing mechanism



y 1, 1934- w. H. WAKEFIELD 1,957,118

BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed Feb.

mlentor [Hauler H. Wakefield J mtor'neqs Patented May 1, 1934 1,95Z,ll8

BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISH- ING MECHANESHZ Walter H. Wakefield,Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 11, 1932,Serial No. 592,368

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for releasinguntransferred bobbins more particularly in multicolor weft replenishinglooms and it is the general object of the invention to provide meansoperative through the presence of an untransferred bobbin to eifect therelease.

In multicolor weft replenishing looms the reserve bobbins are drawn fromany one of several sources and are advanced to transfer mechanism bdevices acting in time with the active shuttle. If a shuttle to bereplenished is improperly positioned on the transferring beat of theloom a revoker operates to prevent transfer, but the full bobbinintendedfor insertion in the depleted shuttle remains in transfer position. Inlooms of this type the active shuttle changes frequently so as to varythe filling, and the next shuttle to arrive under the magazine may carrya weft different in character from that of the untransferred bobbin. Itis for this reason that means must be provided to rid the magazine ofuntransferred bobbins to prevent confusion of color in the pattern.

I-Ieretofore it has been proposed to accomplish this result in severalways one of which is to give the bobbin support a periodic releasingmovement occurring shortly after the normal time for transfer. In otherinstances the bobbin support is normally held in rear non-supportingposition and is moved into bobbin supporting position temporarily priorto and during transferring operations only. In either instance, themechanism operates independently and without aid from the bobbin. In thefirst of these forms mentioned the operation is recurrent every secondbeat of the loom and this leads to rapid wear, while in the second theresetting has been derived from forces which act to release the bobbinwhen the lay is in its forward position. Still other devices have beenproposed which are operative on the backward stroke of the loom, buthave acted independently of bobbin presence and have requiredcomplicated mechanism to restore them to normal.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a bobbinreleasing device which shall be dependent for its operation upon actualpresence of the bobbin, the latter acting, as by its weight. to renderreleasing mechanism operative. This result can be obtained by providinga trip normally held out of the path of the lay but projected by theweight of the bobbin into the path of the lay, so that on the backwardstroke of the latter subsequent to the normal time for transfer the tripwill be engaged by the lay and rendered effective to release the bobbin.This operation will not take place if the bobbin been transferred, or ifno bobbin be present.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. l is a vertical central section taken through a magazine having myinvention applied thereto looking toward the center of the loom with theparts in normal non-transferring position,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. l, but with the bobbin intransferring position and the trip or latch set for release, the laybeing in forward position,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the lay on its rearwardmovement iii-engagement with the trip, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a magazine 10 having a wing 11which supports a stand 12. A bobbin support 13 is pivotally mounted asat 14 to a vertical suspending link 15 mounted on and movable about oneof the tie rods 16 of the magazine. The support 13 is pro vided with abobbin run 1'? which cooperates with a relatively fixed support F tosupport a weft carrier W in transfer position.

A stop screw 18 in the link 15 engages a depending iinger 19 of thestand 12 to limit right hand movement of the link as viewed in Fig. 1. Acoil spring 20 is operative to hold the support yieldingly in theposition shown in Fig. 1. A small arm 21 extends rearwardly from theupper part of link 15 and is connected to the upper end of a tensionspring 22 the lower end of which is attached to an arm 23 of thesupport. Relative movement of the bobbin support and the link 15 may belimited by a stop surface 24 on the link which engages the support.

A pin 25 on the arm 23 projects through a slot 26 formed in a link 27pivoted as at 28 to the stand 12. An adjustable stop screw 29 in thelink 27 engages the stud 25. The lay 30 supports a shuttle S and has abox back 31 and a binder 32. The usual transferrer arm 33 may beprovided for moving a bobbin from the supports into a depleted shuttle.

The matter thus far described is of common construction and operates inthe usual manner to give the bobbin support a comparatively straighthorizontal backward movement, such as shown in prior patent to Ryon No.1,366,950. The rear butt bobbin support thus far set forth herein hasgone into general use in connection with the type of magazine shown inPatent No. 1,030,748. The mechanism already described is for purposes ofillustration, and any similar bobbin support may be used.

As previously stated, the bobbin may be advanced from any one of severalsources and moved to the supports 17 and where it will await transfer.If the shuttle is misplaced, however, mechanism not shown herein butwell understood operates to prevent descent of the transferrer arm, thusleaving the bobbin on the supports and rendering necessary its dischargefrom the magazine.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide a light lever or tripwhich is pivoted on an extension ofthe stud 14, as shown in Fig. 4. Thistrip has an upper surface 41 which may conform generally to the surface17 of the main support. The lower forward end of the trip is providedwith a shoulder 42, while the rear end is provided with a counter weight43 just sunlciently heavy to overbalance the forward part of the trip,thus rendering the same responsive to light forces, and holding the tripyieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The lay is provided with an actuator 44 mounted in any convenient mannerto move with the lay and is positioned for engagement with the shoulder42. The under side of the trip is provided with a slightly inclinedsurface 45 which under effective to hold the shoulder 42 above the pathof movement of the actuator 44 under normal non-transferring conditions.When the bobbin is advanced from one or another of the cells of themagazine, however, it will roll to the position shown in Fig. 2 and willhave contact with the upper surface 41 of the trip. The latter, beingresponsive to light forces, is moved by the bobbin to the position shownin Fig. 2, thus placing the shoulder 42 in the path of the actuator 44.

In certain looms the bobbin will move to transfer position while the layis in its backward position and as a result the cam face 45 will beengaged by the actuator on the forward stroke of the lay. The cam faceis shallow, hence the actuator will give the trip a gradual upwardmovement such as will not cause objectionable upward movement of thebobbin. As the lay continues its forward movement on the transferringbeat the weight of the bobbin will restore the latch or trip to theposition shown in Fig. 2.

If transfer is normal the arm 33 will insert the bobbin into theshuttle, the rear support moving back slightly against the action ofspring 22 in a well-known manner. The trip being no'longer in engagementwith the bobbin, will move upwardly to the full line position shown inFig. 1, so that subsequent rearward movement of the actuator will notengage the shoulder 42. Should the shuttle be improperly positioned,however, the resultant revocation of transfer will leave the bobbin onthe supports, the effect of which will be to maintain the shoulder 42 inthe path of the actuator. As the lay moves rearwardly, therefore, therear leading surface of the actuator will engage the shoulder 42 to movethe trip and stud 14 rearwardly. The effect of this is to leave thebobbin unsupported and it will fall out of the magazine.

The lay moves about a pivot which is near the floor on which the loom issupported, while the support 13 moves rearwardly in practically ahorizontal line, so that as the lay continues its rearward movement theabutment 44 will become disengaged from the shoulder 42 and spring 22will effect return of the support to normal position.

The actuator 44 is preferably placed on the front part of the lay sothat the latter is out of the path of the dropping released bobbin. Inthis way all opportunity for entanglement with the lay and the bobbin isobviated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form ofbobbin release which operates on the backward movement of the lay torelease an untransferred bobbin by coaction of members one of which ispositioned by the bobbin. In this way the connections previously usedare omitted and assurance given that the support will move only whenneeded to release an untransferred bobbin. It will further be seen thatthe operation of the device is dependent upon presence of the bobbin andthat the latter, by some inherent characteristic, such as its weight,renders the mechanism operative.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having yieldable means to hold a bobbinin transfer position and having a lay movable back and forth therein,means positioned by an untransferred bobbin in transferring position toeffect operative connection between the lay and the means to move thelatter to bobbin releasing position.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having yieldable means to hold a bobbinin transfer position and having a lay movable back and forth therein, areleasing trip normally out of the path of the lay and movable by thebobbin into operative position with respect to the lay, and connectionsbetween the trip and the means to move the latter to bobbin releasingposition.

3. In a .weft replenishing mechanism having provision for supporting abobbin in transfer position, a bobbin release mechanism, and meansrendered effective by the presence of an untransferred bobbin afterrevocation of transfer to operate the release mechanism.

4. In a weft replenishing mechanism, a support to hold the bobbin inposition for transfer, and means rendered operative by the presence ofthe bobbin to move said support to non-supporting position after normaltime for transfer.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a regularly moving part, means tosupport a bobbin in transfer position, and a device rendered operativeby the presence of the bobbin after the normal time for transfer toeffect operative relation between said part and the support to move thelatter to bobbin releasing position.

6. In a weft replenishing mechanism, a yieldable support to hold thebobbin in transfer position, a trip for the support movable relativelyto the latter by a bobbin, and means operative subsequent to the normaltime for transfer to move the trip and support to effect release of anuntransferred bobbin.

effect discharge of the latter from the loom after revocation oftransfer.

9. In a weft replenishing loom, a support to hold a bobbin in transferposition, and means dependent upon and operative through presence of anuntransferred bobbin to move said support out of bobbin supportingposition after the normal time for transfer.

WALTER H. WAKEFIELD.

